The Course of Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State
Thomas Cole, 1836
Shepherds on the same ground that will be a city, then a ruin. One gentle day. Enjoy it. The fire is already painted.
About this work
The Arcadian or Pastoral State is the second of the five paintings in Thomas Cole's series The Course of Empire, painted between 1833 and 1836. The series follows the rise and fall of an imaginary city at the lower end of a river valley near the sea, and the same landmark, a boulder perched on a crag, appears in every picture. Here the sky has cleared and it is a fresh morning in spring or summer. The viewpoint has moved up the river, so the crag is now on the left, with a forked peak beyond. Much of the wilderness of the first painting has given way to ploughed fields and pasture, with people ploughing, building a boat, herding sheep and dancing. On a bluff a megalithic temple sends up smoke, and a village is taking shape by the river. Yet the warship under construction hints at the ambitions to come. It is the state many Americans of Cole's time saw as the ideal phase of civilisation, before the empire, excess and decay of the later paintings. The architecture and costumes are Greco-Roman, and the arc of the series can be loosely compared to the history of Rome. Like the other canvases, it measures 39.5 × 63.5 inches. The series is at the New-York Historical Society.
Sources: Wikipedia: The Course of Empire · Explore Thomas Cole
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 8,733 × 5,442 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 58 × 36 in
- Sizes
- Small (20 × 12 in) · $100 · 437 ppi
Medium (24 × 15 in) · $150 · 363 ppi
Large (36 × 22 in) · $300 · 243 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of The Course of Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State?
Here. The Course of Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (20 × 12 in) for $100, Medium (24 × 15 in) for $150 and Large (36 × 22 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for The Course of Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State?
The file is 8,733 × 5,442 px, so every size is sharp: even Large (36 × 22 in) prints at 243 ppi. Choose Large (36 × 22 in) for a large wall; Small (20 × 12 in) suits a narrower space.
Is it legal to print The Course of Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State?
Yes. The Course of Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State is in the public domain: its copyright, if it ever had one, expired long ago. In the United States a faithful photograph of a public-domain painting does not create a new copyright (Bridgeman v. Corel, 1999), so the image can be printed and sold freely.
